Graphic designer by day, writer by night.
For years I had this vague idea that writing involved a brilliant idea that somehow just flowed onto paper (or screen) as a full, finished and beautiful story. At the same time, there were always little stories chasing themselves around inside my head (yes, voices in my head) but the idea of trying to turn them into something tangible and real seemed too daunting.
That changed. Searching for the release date of a novel I was looking forward to, I stumbled on a blog post where the author discussed how she outlines and organizes her work before she begins writing. I read the backlog of her posts on the writing process and realized that there was an incredible amount of list-making, planning, charting, and organization—all of my favourite things, not kidding—that went into a story before it was really written.
I picked up my pen (laptop) and started writing the very next day.
And you know what? I love it. From calendars, character grids and outlines, to dialogue, writing and—yes—editing, getting those voices out of my head and into the real world is great.
As for everything else... I was raised in a beautiful little town in northwestern Ontario, though like any small town, it has its drawbacks. And it's cold there in the winter. Bloody cold. I studied graphic design for three years in Toronto before moving to Calgary, where I got a job designing trade show displays. An odd field, but I love my day job too.
When I'm not designing or writing I'm reading, studying German, enjoying a margarita in the backyard, knitting, or watching hockey. Those last three really depend on the season, of course. No backyard margaritas in January.